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Feralcatman: Hello Everyone

Feralcatman
Feralcatman
in Introductions & Ongoing Recoveries

Featured Replies

  • Author

@SarahMc So you probably know already that a low dose doesn't mean anything and yes I stopped at 6.25 because it was a quarter of a tablet and my doctor told me it was a super low dose and I definitely regret it.

If you're already sensitized as you describe I would go slower than 10% of the current dose you still have to do this hyperbolically I would do no more than 5% reductions. Even on Tegretol the reductions I'm doing are not even 3% and my body still feels it. The low dose you are on needs to be tapered very slowly especially in your situation and I would get down to well below 1 mg before jumping off which is what I wish I had done. I made the mistake of thinking that a 25 mg it was not much more than an antihistamine and that that was a very low dose compared to what I had been on so I didn't think it was necessary at the time but I was misinformed. I had not yet found surviving antidepressants.

Sorry you're having such a difficult time I definitely understand so you're going to have to feel your way through this and go very very slowly.

Current Psychiatric Medications

 

    Paxil 10mg daily (a.m.) 2017 - Present

    Carbamazepine IR  105 mg twice daily (210 mg Daily) 2011 - Present (Currently Tapering)

 

Past Psychiatric Medications From 1994 to August 2021 - Seroquel (in Recovery since August 2021 final dose 6.25mg), Depakote, Lithium, Risperidone, Xanax, Lamotrigene, Olanzapine, Lorazepam, Welbutrin, Trazodone, Oxazepam, Gabapentin, Abilify, Topiramate, Prazosin, Ambien (See Attached Spreadsheet And Seroquel Tapering And WIthdrawal Summary)

 

Current Non Psychiatric Medications -  Levothyroxine 100mcg (a.m.)-Vitamin D3 3400 IU (p.m.)-Fexofenadine 180 mg twice daily - Azelastine / Ipratropium / Nasacort Nasal Sprays - 0.1mg clonidine nightly

 

Other - Fish Oil Twice Daily-Multi-Vitamin (a.m.)-Vitamin C 1000mg Daily (a.m.)-Saline Nasal Spray-Salsalate 750mg twice daily PRN, Diclofenac Gel on affected joint PRN-Magnesium Citrate 250mg twice daily, Ibuprofen as needed for AS pain

 

My Old SA Thread

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/26099-feralcatman-recovering-from-seroquel/

 

Link To Old SA Posts That May Be Useful

 

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/46-feralcatman-hello-everyone/#findComment-482

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    • Like 2
    • Replies 55
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    • Feralcatman
      Feralcatman

      UPDATE So I finally have something new to report. Coming towards the end of my 5th Year off of Seroquel and I can finally nap again without getting completely destroyed if I fall asleep during the da

    • Feralcatman
      Feralcatman

      UPDATE   As I said previously I've been having a bit of a hard time recently. Much of it is due to seasonal changes and a drug damaged body having issues with adaptation to things like seaso

    • Feralcatman
      Feralcatman

      UPDATE Hey everyone. It's been awhile. Not too much new to report. Still tapering the Tegretol very slowly. I am able to do about 2.5% of the current dose whenever I feel that I can. It's slow but it

    Posted Images

    Thanks @Feralcatman — that’s all basically what I figured, but it’s still nice to hear about it from someone who’s been through it so thanks! And yes I understand that a “low dose” doesn’t mean much. My psychiatrist told me that 12.5 mg “doesn’t do anything” and that I should be able to hop off at any time, which clearly wasn’t true. Like you, I hadn’t yet found this forum or even figured out that all the med changes were responsible for my symptoms quite yet.

    Sounds like you’ve been through quite a lot — thanks so much for sharing what you’ve learned along the way.

    I’m not a medical professional and cannot offer medical advice. I am new to this journey and my thoughts are based only on my personal experience with psychiatric drugs. This is a peer site where we support each other on our taper/recovery journeys. 

    Current regimen:

    Cymbalta - 90 mg/day

    Seroquel - 12.5 mg/day

    *holding to stabilize as of Apr 2026

     

    History:

    Seroquel - up to 50 mg as needed for sleep (generally 6.25-12.5 mg a few times a week, though sometimes more) - 2009 (ish) to present

    Cymbalta - 60 mg/day, periodically down to 30 mg/day - May 2014 to May 2025

    Clonazepam - up to 1 mg/day as needed - March to May 2025, quick taper off

    Zoloft - 150 mg/day - May 2025 to Aug 2025 (quick cross-taper from Cymbalta)

    Pristiq - 50 mg/day from Aug 2025 to mid-Oct 2025 (quick cross-taper from Zoloft); 100 mg/day from Oct 2025 to Dec 2025; back down to 50 mg/day from Dec 2025 to Jan 2026

    Lyrica - 200 mg/day - Nov 2025 to Jan 2026 (quick taper off from mid-Jan to early Feb 2026 due to severe depressive symptoms)

    Cymbalta - 60 mg/day - Jan - March 2026; up to 90 mg/day from March to present

     

    •
    • Like 1
    19 hours ago, Feralcatman said:

    I can finally nap again without getting completely destroyed

    Thanks for the update FCM, I very pleased to hear about your naps! I wish I could manage this!

    I’m not a medical professional and cannot offer medical advice. I only offer my thoughts as support. Please speak to your health practitioner about your care. This is a peer site where we support each other on our taper/recovery journeys. 

     

    If you are from the UK please make sure you fill in a 'Yellow Card' report for the MHRA. It is you doing your bit to help make a difference.

    Please take the time to do it today 🙂 https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk

    For US members details here.

    •
    • Like 1
    • 4 weeks later...
    • Author

    So antidepressant withdrawal has gotten a little bit of air time and thought people would like to hear this interview.

    https://www4.wng.org/The-withdrawal-question.mp3

    Edited by Feralcatman

    Current Psychiatric Medications

     

        Paxil 10mg daily (a.m.) 2017 - Present

        Carbamazepine IR  105 mg twice daily (210 mg Daily) 2011 - Present (Currently Tapering)

     

    Past Psychiatric Medications From 1994 to August 2021 - Seroquel (in Recovery since August 2021 final dose 6.25mg), Depakote, Lithium, Risperidone, Xanax, Lamotrigene, Olanzapine, Lorazepam, Welbutrin, Trazodone, Oxazepam, Gabapentin, Abilify, Topiramate, Prazosin, Ambien (See Attached Spreadsheet And Seroquel Tapering And WIthdrawal Summary)

     

    Current Non Psychiatric Medications -  Levothyroxine 100mcg (a.m.)-Vitamin D3 3400 IU (p.m.)-Fexofenadine 180 mg twice daily - Azelastine / Ipratropium / Nasacort Nasal Sprays - 0.1mg clonidine nightly

     

    Other - Fish Oil Twice Daily-Multi-Vitamin (a.m.)-Vitamin C 1000mg Daily (a.m.)-Saline Nasal Spray-Salsalate 750mg twice daily PRN, Diclofenac Gel on affected joint PRN-Magnesium Citrate 250mg twice daily, Ibuprofen as needed for AS pain

     

    My Old SA Thread

     

    https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/26099-feralcatman-recovering-from-seroquel/

     

    Link To Old SA Posts That May Be Useful

     

    https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/46-feralcatman-hello-everyone/#findComment-482

    •
    • Like 1
    15 hours ago, Feralcatman said:

    So antidepressant withdrawal has gotten a little bit of air time and thought people would like to hear this interview.

    https://www4.wng.org/The-withdrawal-question.mp3

    Feel free to post in the media area

    I’m not a medical professional and cannot offer medical advice. I only offer my thoughts as support. Please speak to your health practitioner about your care. This is a peer site where we support each other on our taper/recovery journeys. 

     

    If you are from the UK please make sure you fill in a 'Yellow Card' report for the MHRA. It is you doing your bit to help make a difference.

    Please take the time to do it today 🙂 https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk

    For US members details here.

    •
    • Like 1
    • 2 weeks later...
    • Author

    Current Psychiatric Medications

     

        Paxil 10mg daily (a.m.) 2017 - Present

        Carbamazepine IR  105 mg twice daily (210 mg Daily) 2011 - Present (Currently Tapering)

     

    Past Psychiatric Medications From 1994 to August 2021 - Seroquel (in Recovery since August 2021 final dose 6.25mg), Depakote, Lithium, Risperidone, Xanax, Lamotrigene, Olanzapine, Lorazepam, Welbutrin, Trazodone, Oxazepam, Gabapentin, Abilify, Topiramate, Prazosin, Ambien (See Attached Spreadsheet And Seroquel Tapering And WIthdrawal Summary)

     

    Current Non Psychiatric Medications -  Levothyroxine 100mcg (a.m.)-Vitamin D3 3400 IU (p.m.)-Fexofenadine 180 mg twice daily - Azelastine / Ipratropium / Nasacort Nasal Sprays - 0.1mg clonidine nightly

     

    Other - Fish Oil Twice Daily-Multi-Vitamin (a.m.)-Vitamin C 1000mg Daily (a.m.)-Saline Nasal Spray-Salsalate 750mg twice daily PRN, Diclofenac Gel on affected joint PRN-Magnesium Citrate 250mg twice daily, Ibuprofen as needed for AS pain

     

    My Old SA Thread

     

    https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/26099-feralcatman-recovering-from-seroquel/

     

    Link To Old SA Posts That May Be Useful

     

    https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/46-feralcatman-hello-everyone/#findComment-482

    •
    • Like 1

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